Killzone: Semper Fi or Die
by Anzac123
Summary: Killzone 2 seen through the eyes of an ISA Marine Squad. Several things will be different from the game but it'll provide just as much action if not more.
1. A Speech Before the Slaughter

(I've decided to structure the ISA Marine Squad like a USMC Marine Corps Squad since its the closest in comparison I could think of.)

ISA Cruiser _Orion-_Orbit Above Helghan

Staff Sergeant Daniel "Dan" Jenkins hated Intruder Dropship. Why they even called it a dropship he didn't even know. To him and every other member of the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance 6th Marine Corps Division it was nothing more than a flatbed truck with rocket motors attached. It offered him and his men little to no protection and he swore that a kid with a BB gun could shoot the thing down. He missed the old days when they had tried and true dropships back on Vekta.

"Then again we're not going to be fighting on Vekta anymore." S/Sgt. Daniel muttered under his breath

"What's that, sir?" Corporal Joshua Smith, Staff Sergeant Daniel's third in command and leader of Fireteam Ice Pick, asked appearing next to his side.

"Nothing. Is the squad ready?" S/Sgt. Daniel replied trying to change the subject. Corporal Joshua was nothing but a pup. A FNG as they called it back in the 20th century. He didn't even see any action on Vekta. S/Sgt. Daniel found no benefit in scaring the kid about how he figured the Intruder was an unreliable piece of shit only minutes before they were scheduled to board the ugly things.

"Sir, yes, sir. All thirteen, including you and I, members of Creeper Squad are ready to rock and roll, Sarge. I had the men check all their weapons and gear twice. They're waiting by our assigned Intruder." Corporal Joshua said. Despite Corporal Joshua was the new guy in the squad and the only one not to see any action at all in Vekta, he was dedicated to doing his job right and showing the other guys that he belonged. Especially the Sarge.

"Good," S/Sgt. Daniel replied as he picked up his M82 Assault Rifle which was leaning against the Intruder he had been scrutinizing. He checked his watch and said, "Almost time to drop. Guess I'll give the men a little speech before we depart."

"Roger that, sir." Corporal Joshua barked. He snapped off a smart salute and ran across the hanger to get the men ready.

_Good kid,_ S/Sgt. Daniel thought. _Too bad there is a high probability of him getting shot to pieces. _

Brushing the thought aside he strode across the crowded hanger until he found the Intruder that would be carrying him and his squad into battle. Corporal Joshua had the men in a row standing at attention. The thought, _good kid_ crossed S/Sgt. Daniel's mind again.

"Sarge. I don't mean to rush ya' and whatnot but I didn't sign up for the Corps to stand around polishin' Bertha. I signed up to kick some Hig ass." Private First Class Jason White said. The squad's automatic rifleman, Bertha was the name Pfc. Jason gave his M224-A1 Light Machine Gun.

"Private First Class White you signed up for the Corps because you love and cherish everything that the ISA stands for and you are willing to put your life down for it. Now how about you cut the chatter so I can say a few choice words before we kick the Helghast out their own capital." S/Sgt. Daniel said smirking. Despite his hard as nails appearance S/Sgt. Daniel knew how to joke with the men.

"Well don't keep us waitin'. Make the speech so we can get down there already. I heard Pyrrhus City is wonderful this time of year." Sergeant Mitchel Lucas said trying his hardest to hide a smile. Sergeant Mitchel was S/Sgt. Daniel's second in command and leader of Fireteam Hitman.

"Okay, okay people." S/Sgt. Daniel said holding up his hands in mock surrender. The strap of his M82 chaffed his neck a little as it hung from its sling. "In," S/Sgt. Daniel stopped to check his watch. "Two minutes and thirty seconds time we will board the ever reliable Intruders and begin the invasion of Helghan code named Operation: Archangel. Now seeing that the ISA wants the best of the fuckin' best to kick off this invasion who do they order in first?"

"The Sixth Marine Division!" the squad barked in unison. The pride in their voice was impossible to miss.

"More specifically!" S/Sgt. Daniel demanded.

"Third Regiment, Fifth Battalion, King Company, First Platoon! Oo-rah! Oo-rah! Oo-rah!"

"That's right boys! Now we won't be the only ones out there but we will be the best ones! Why is that?"

"Because when you want something done right you send in the Marines!"

"Holy shit I think you Jarheads just might be catching on to something!" S/Sgt. Daniel yelled pacing back in forth in front of the men like a drill instructor. "Who does the ISA trust the most!" S/Sgt. Daniel boomed.

"Marine Corps!" the men boomed back.

"Who do the ladies love the most!"

"Marine Corps!"

"Who do the Helghast fear the most!"

"MARINE CORPS!" The last response filled S/Sgt. Daniel with so much pride he felt he was about to burst.

"Now that you're pumped get your asses on that Intruder and get ready to rip the Higs a new asshole!" S/Sgt. Daniel ordered.

"Sir, yes, sir!" the men boomed a final time and began tossing gear on the flat bed/troop carrier part of the Intruder. S/Sgt. Daniel hoisted himself up and over the rail.

"Hello boys this is Airman Brandon Smalls and I will be your pilot today. Now before we take off I advise you to buckle in and in case of an inflight emergency just jump off the craft. You Marines have so much hot air in your heads you'll float right up." the pilot of the Intruder said in a joking way as he strapped himself in.

Private Andy Marco, one of the squad's two grenadiers, blew a raspberry at the pilot. The men held onto the side rails as the Intruder jolted forward on a rail into its prepositioned spot and stopped.

"This is it! We all got first class tickets to Pyrrhus City and the Higs know it! They should give up already!" Private Cody Barnes, one of the squad's four riflemen, shouted over the noise of hundreds of other Intruders getting in position.

"First stop Pyrrhus City!" Private Aston Kelps, another rifleman, whooped.

"Time to pay those Hig bastards for what they did on Vekta!" Private First Class Lars Beckman, the squad's second automatic rifleman yelled beating a fist in his chestplate.

"We'll pay them back with interest!" Private First Class Anderson O'Brian, one of the squad's designated marksman added as he adjusted the scope on his M82MV.

As they waited Private First Class Howard Morgan, he squad's second designated marksman leaned over towards S/Sgt. Daniel and asked, "Where are we supposed to be landing, Sarge? Briefing only told us a beach so we better bring our swimming trucks."

"Yeah, Sarge. You're a step above us mud eaters. Where we landin'?" Private Jonah Fox piped in shouting because of the noise all around.

"I overheard a colonel say something about a Corinth River. That mean anything to any of you?" S/Sgt. Daniel replied. The entire squad shook their heads with the exception of Private Percy Turtledove, yet another rifleman in the squad, who nodded his head.

"A river that runs alongside Pyrrhus City! Come one guys didn't any of you guys pay attention during geography in school?" Private Percy said. The guy was a complete bookworm but when it came to fighting on the frontlines any man in his right mind would want him on his side.

"I never learned anything about Helghan before I joined the Corps!" the squad's final rifleman, Private Blake Washington yelled.

"I almost forgot." Private Percy said with a broad smile. "They didn't have schools where you came from huh."

"Fuck you man. When I Hig clubs you like a baby fucking seal Imma shake his hand after." Private Blake said jokingly.

The Intruder lurched forward again and arrived at its final launch position at the edge of the hanger.

"Here we go people!" S/Sgt. Daniel yelled. He was squeezing his M82 so hard his gloved hands started to hurt. There was an earsplitting roar as the combined fleet of over one hundred ISA cruisers fired off a salvo of missiles. As soon as all the missiles cleared the ships the cruisers began to bleed off Intruders like a stuck pig. With a hydraulic hiss a pair of robotic arms held the Intruder away from the hanger. They sat there for a few seconds before the arms suddenly let them go.

The first wave of troopers from Operation: Archangel were coming. And the Helghast were ready.


	2. A Day At the Beach

Pyrrhus City

Corinth River- Corinth Sands

"Holy fuck!" Private Aston screamed as a stream of bullets leapt up from the ground and blotted an Intruder out the sky. This wasn't the first Intruder he'd seen knocked out but it was the closest that has been to him. He held onto the rail with a death grip as the Intruder he was on banked left narrowly missing another Intruder to avoid AAA fire.

"We're gonna get knocked out the friggin' sky before we even get close to the LZ!" Sergeant Mitchel yelled. He cringed as a wave of heat swept over him when an Intruder exploded in a massive fireball several meters away.

"We're going to make it!" S/Sgt. Daniel yelled trying to reassure himself. Honestly he wasn't all too sure about those odds but his men needed hope. An Intruder about ten meters in front of him took several hits and broke in two showering the men in oil.

"The fuck man!" Pfc. Jason yelled as he rubbed his eyes.

"This is some sincere bullshit!" Private Cody screamed over the howling wind. This wasn't his first combat insertion by Intruder but it was shaping up to be his worse.

"I see the river!" Private Percy exclaimed as he stood up a little and pointed. He was nearly knocked on his ass when another Intruder was shot down and a piece of metal went flipping end over end like a boomerang came right at him.

"Where? You better not be fucking with me Percy!" Pfc. Lars shouted.

"Over there!" Private Percy shouted now making sure his ass was planted firmly on the Intruder. The entire squad leaned over the railing and after a few seconds of looking they saw their objective. The Corinth River was a large, wide river that ran along the industrial base of Pyrrhus City. The water was choppy and a dark yellow from years of dumping. Not anything any of the men would want to swim with anytime soon.

"Marines!" S/Sgt. Daniel shouted to get the men's attention. Once everyone looked at him he continued. "When we hit the ground we're going to be taking heavy fire! I want you to clear the Intruder and rally on me! If I'm dead then you rally on Sergeant Mitchel and if he's dead then you rally on Corporal Joshua! Oo-rah?"

"Oo-rah, Staff Sergeant!" the men barked. As they neared the beach the men double checked their weapons. S/Sgt. Daniel checked the holographic sight of his M82 to make sure it was working. The thing was damn fragile and he learned during Vekta that if you didn't take care of it then you were stuck with iron sights. Sergeant Mitchel patted the pouches on his chest and thighs to make sure each had a magazine in it. Then he patted his waist feeling the grenades he kept there for easy access. Pfc. Jason pulled the bolt back to his M224-A1 chambering a round. Pfc. Anderson adjusted the scope to his M82MV making sure it was properly sighted. The M82MV was the marksman variant of the reliable M82. It featured a longer barrel and a 4x magnification scope. Private Andy put a 40mm grenade in his M303 grenade launcher mounted under the barrel of his M82 and closed the breech. Private Cody, who always kept his weapon unloaded whenever he was not participating in an operation, slapped a magazine in and pulled the charging handle. Private Aston had done his pre-fight checks before they even boarded the Intruder so he just sat there thinking. At the moment his thoughts were about his nineteen year old wife. She was expecting their first child soon and he hoped this whole thing was over so he could be there for the birth. Corporal Joshua taped his magazines together in pairs jungle style for faster reloads. He picked the trick up from a Rapid Response Force friend he met back at the staging areas on Vekta. Pfc. Lars checked and then rechecked the pouches strapped to his thighs and waist. The pouches were filled with ammo for his M224-A1. You could never have too much ammo for a fight. Pfc. Howard tapped his finger nervously against the stock of his M82MV. He'd killed dozens of Higs on Vekta but this would be different. He was fighting on their turf now. Private Jonah on the other hand didn't have a worry in the world. He'd kicked Hig ass on Vekta and he was completely sure he would kick Hig as on this piss poor excuse for a planet. Private Blake rocked his head listening to music only he could hear. It was how he dealt with the war. At the moment Mozart calmed him into an almost zen like state. Private Percy sat there thinking about every beach invasion he'd ever read about. The list stretched into the hundreds but he chose the one that would have been most suitable. The landing at Omaha Beach at Normandy during the Liberation of France was the best he could think of. High casualties had almost put the entire operation in jeopardy. Hopefully this would not be another Omaha.

As they got closer to the beach they could make out Marines already on there fighting their way forward. Helghast soldiers in foxholes and in buildings showered torrents of lead on the advancing Marines. Hig machine guns on the small bluffs overlooking the beach turned the Marine advance into a Marine slaughter.

With a loud _thunk _the Intruder hit the ground raising the men up and slamming them back on. It took S/Sgt. Daniel two seconds to get oriented but when he did he was waving his men off yelling, "Go! Go! Go!"

Pfc. Anderson was the first off. He leapt over the rail and hit the sandy ground. His boots sunk two inches into the wet sand making it hard for him to move. He trotted forward ducking low to avoid what felt like millions of bullets flying over him. He looked back just in time to see the Intruder start to lift off but a rocket slammed into it. It wheeled over and crashed into the river. The smoke swirling around the beach stung his eyes and made his throat burn. For a split second he worried it may have been gas but then he realized it was from all the weapons discharging. Remembering that he got on one knee and looked through his scope. He saw a regular Helghast trooper in a two man foxhole firing at Marines to his right. His buddy that was supposed to be in the foxhole with him couldn't be seen. Pfc. Anderson fired off two rounds in quick succession striking the Hig in the chest and left shoulder. That was enough to make him tumble in the foxhole and leave Pfc. Anderson's fellow Marines alone. Satisfied he looked for his next target.

Private Andy had fallen face first off the Intruder and into the soft sand. He probably would have been stuck there too and suffocated if Pfc. Jason wouldn't have yanked him up by the collar.

"Thanks!" Private Andy shouted as he and Pfc. Jason slowly advanced.

"Anytime!" Pfc. Jason replied. They both spotted a Helghast soldier making a run from one foxhole to another and fire at the same time. They weren't sure which of them had hit him but the Hig took a few more steps before his legs gave out from under him and fell in a ragged pile. Out of the chaos of battle Private Andy was able to make out one sound among all others. Maybe because he'd heard it and his entire platoon was wiped out by the weapons that made that sound during the opening stages of the invasion of Vekta. The loud, shrill howling noise only got louder and louder. Without any input from his brain Private Andy pushed Pfc. Jason in a crater created by the pre-invasion landing barrage. He was reacting by pure nature and experience as he jumped next to Pfc. Jason and covered his head.

Private Percy was thrown backwards by an explosion that also turned a Marine a few meters to his right into little more than red mist and ribbons of meat. Private Percy should have been able to recognize the distinctive sound of the Helghast VC18 Mortar. In a split second he had the weapon visualized and all known specs about it ran through his head.

_The VC18 weighs eight hundred kilos flat and fires a 105mm shell. Its rate of fire is anywhere between 8 and ten rounds a minute but they are usually grouped in batteries of twelve allowing them to lob a lot of explosives in a very short time. Front line troops nickname it the Screaming Mimi for its high pitched sound when shells are incoming. _

Private Percy filtered all this information before he hit the ground hard five meters away. Without missing a beat he got up and looked for the nearest source of cover. He stumbled forward and threw himself against a burnt out Intruder. Another Marine was running towards him shooting at Helghast positions. A few steps away from the Intruder a burst of Hig machine gun fire hit the Marine in the stomach nearly cutting him in half. Private Percy curled himself up against the Intruder and watched as the Marine thrashed about a little before dying. Even though he'd seen this kind of stuff dozens of time on Vekta it still got to him.

S/Sgt. Daniel was only a few feet away from a trench filled with Helghast. He'd picked up any Marine he found on the way since his squad got scattered by those damn Moaning Minis and charged what he figured was a week spot in the Hig lines. He just hoped all his men were okay mainly because he saw them as his friends but also because he didn't feel like getting a whole new squad of Pups.

"Eat this you ISA dog!" a Helghast soldier yelled as he brought his StA-52 Assault Rifle up. S/Sgt. Daniel jumped forward not really thinking and tackled the Hig. They both slammed into the back of the trench knocking the wind out of the Helghast Trooper. Without hesitating S/Sgt. Daniel whipped out his M-4 Revolver and went to put it at the Hig's head.

"NOOOO!" another Helghast roared as he took a swipe at S/Sgt. Daniel with a combat knife. He side-stepped him and put two .357 rounds in the trooper's chest at point blank range. Before he could make sure the Helghast was dead the one he was pinning pushed off the wall and slammed S/Sgt. Daniel into the front wall of the trench. S/Sgt. Daniel tried his best to point the M-4 at the Hig but he was too strong. Slowly the Helghast started to point S/Sgt. Daniel's own weapon at him. Without thinking he kneed the Helghast trooper as hard as he could in the groin.

"Fuck!" the Helghast moaned as he slumped down to his knees in front of S/Sgt. Daniel. Without a moment's hesitation he blew the Hig's brains out the back of his head before he could recover. He ducked as a flurry of bullets ate up the sand around him. Taking a moment to organize himself he looked around to make sure the trench was clear. There were only Marines in the trench for the time being so that was good. Next he tapped the microphone in his ear twice activating it.

"_Hitman One call in." _S/Sgt. Daniel said hoping his voice was broadcasted as calm as he really was.

"_This is Hitman One. Where the fuck are you, Sarge?" _Sergeant Mitchel replied.

"_Hig trench. Took it from 'em. Where's the squad?"_

"_I have most of Fireteam Ice Pick and some guys from Hitman. No idea where everyone else is. This is-" _Sergeant Mitchel's voice was cut off by a shrill howling noise. "_Get the fuck down! Get out the open! You see a fuckin' shell hole you jump in it!" _S/Sgt. Daniel tensed up waiting to hear the sounds of a Screaming Mini shell with his name on it. He only half way relaxed when none fell in his sector but instead seventy meters to his right. That was where what was left of his squad was. Checking to make sure he had a full mag, he looked towards the plumes of sand for a moment and started down the trench towards them.

Sergeant Mitchel cowered in a foxhole as the world went to hell around him. He looked down at the sprawled mess at his feet and nudged it with his boot to make sure it was really dead. Whoever killed that Hig was one hell of a shot. A single round right between the eyes. The Hig probably died before he even collapsed at the bottom of the foxhole.

"It's all cuz of you." Sergeant Mitchel said more to himself than to anyone else. He lowered his head as a mortar landed near the lip of his foxhole almost burying him with sand. "You goddamned sons of bitches!" Sergeant Mitchel yelled. He knew the Higs couldn't hear him but it made him feel a little better. He hated being shot at by something he couldn't shoot back at. Artillery ruined the romance of war for him. That and the dead friends…and the mangled bodies…and the constant threat of being blown to kibbles and bits.

When the bombardment let up he stood up with his rifle to his shoulder expecting a horde of Helghast charging at him. Instead he saw four Hig tracked APCs come to a stop on top of the bluffs. Immediately tiny black forms filed out the front of the APCs and started opening fire. More Helghast soldiers. The APCs added their two cents and opened fire their VnS-10 Machine Guns. A Marine ran past him running towards a shell hole to take cover in when one of the APCs opened up on him. Sergeant Mitchel watched in amazement as the nimble Marine bobbed and weaved his way through the fire almost making it to the shell hole. Unfortunately he bobbed when he should have weaved and a few rounds stitched its way across the soldier's chest. He collapsed and rolled over on his back.

"Momma!" he screamed as he writhed on the ground like he was having a seizure. Blood poured shot out from half a dozen wounds in his chest and blood was coming out his mouth like a fountain. A corpsman skidded to a stop next to him and started to try to patch him up but a stray bullet knocked the corpsman's head right off his shoulders.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Sergeant Mitchel yelled banging his hand on the edge of his foxhole in frustration. Next he took out his anger on the Higs on the bluff. "Fuck you!" Sergeant Mitchel as he fired a well-aimed burst from his M82 that knocked a Helghast on his ass. He was sure he wasn't getting up. A trio of 6.8mm rounds to the chest would leave a very big hole. He looked back at the downed Marine who was still thrashing about. He couldn't just leave him there. Sergeant Mitchel took a deep breath and scrambled out the foxhole.

"Get some!" Pfc. Lars yelled as he mowed down six Helghan troopers coming down from the bluffs. "You want some too?" he shouted sarcastically as he cut down another Hig running up the bluff.

"I think you like your job just a little too much." Private Blake joked as he emptied a magazine into one of the pillboxes overlooking the beaches.

"Just doing what I'm good at." Pfc. Lars replied. A Hig poked his head up out of a trench on the bluff and brought his weapon to his shoulder. He didn't get a chance to fire as Pfc. Lars drilled several holes into the Hig's forehead. Pfc. Lars and Private Blake stood in a foxhole together trading rounds with the Helghast at the top of the bluff. They were with Sergeant Mitchel but mortars forced them to spread out and lose track of each other. Pfc Lars ducked down when he heard an ear splitting roar but Private Blake stood upright.

"Thank God for the Navy." Private Blake said as several salvos of rockets smashed into the bluffs and exploded in towering balls of fire. Pfc. Lars saw one Hig APC take a direct hit resulting in a catastrophic kill. The turret flew one hundred feet in the air like a champagne cork except instead of being propelled by bubbles it was shot up with fire. The barrage had the dual effect of throwing up a wall of sand in the Marines' faces.

Both men's earpieces suddenly came to life. _"All Marines advance!" _a senior voice ordered. Private Blake and Pfc. Lars looked at each other for a moment. They didn't need words to convey what they would do next. They both leapt out the foxhole at the same time and charged in the direction they thought the bluffs were. Despite the wall of sand still coming at them they could see muzzle flashes at the top of the bluff. There weren't as many as before but the two Marines still ran hunched over as they made their way towards Helghast lines.


End file.
